Higher Officer, Sustainable Development - ( Ref : 6559 )

Job summary

This position is based at Crewe or Manchester

Job description

Join us in shaping a future where nature and people thrive. Whether you're drawn to hands-on conservation or playing a vital part behind the scenes, your work at Natural England will support lasting benefits for the environment and society.

Our Role

Natural England is the Government’s adviser for the natural environment and the Nature regulator with a wide range of statutory duties and powers. We provide the evidence, expertise and advice to recover Nature and shape better places for people to live. We do this working through and with others.

Strategic Outcomes for Nature

Our strategy is framed through four strategic outcomes. Each of these outcomes reinforces and amplifies the others, and together they address environmental, social and economic actions critical to thriving nature.

• Recovering Nature – Increased scale and quality of places where nature thrives.
• Building Better Places – Greener homes and infrastructure create healthier, more investable places, recognising we live better where nature thrives around us.
• Improving Health and Wellbeing – Build nature into everyday life so people can support, access and benefit from nature, wherever they live.
• Delivering Security through Nature – Nature helps us adapt to the threats of a changing climate and improves our national security, supporting more resilient food production, healthy soils, clean and plentiful water and clean air.

Find out more about the work of Natural England at:

Natural England’s Strategy: Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security - GOV.UK

Job description

The Role

The purpose of this role is to provide advice on Local Plans and associated strategic planning documents, the Green Infrastructure Framework, and as required development management casework within the area team. Natural England aims to provide early, and proactive advice based on the best available evidence. You will work closely with external partners to reach solutions which deliver sustainable growth while securing positive environmental outcomes. We are looking for someone with knowledge of the planning system and processes however they must also be keen to develop their skills in a fast-paced role which will have the opportunity to work on high profile plans and projects. We also need someone who can demonstrate that they can build and develop positive relationships with colleagues and external partners as this will be fundamental to successful delivery. This role will work closely with Sustainable Development Senior Officers in the team and will have the opportunity to shadow more complex work.

This role will be based in Natural England’s Cheshire to Lancashire Area Team and will help to deliver Natural England’s vision for Nature Recovery and Building Better Places through supporting our sustainable development work.

The Area Team covers four counties of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and Lancashire. It includes the uplands of Forest of Bowland and West Pennines through the diverse lowlands of Cheshire to the rich coastal habitats of the Irish Sea coast and its wealth of estuaries, and the large conurbations of Liverpool and Manchester.

Flexible working options are supported, and regular travel within Chesire to Lancashire is required for site visits and meetings.

Key Tasks/Principal Accountabilities:

This role will work alongside more senior sustainable development colleagues across Cheshire to Lancashire.

• Deliver timely, high quality, pragmatic and legally sound advice to planning authorities and developers in the area team geography, focussing on provision of advice on Strategic Planning (Local Plans) associated Habitats Regulations Assessments and Green Infrastructure.

• Support Senior Officers in the delivery of High Risk and High Opportunity casework, as required, building your expertise to deliver quality-assured and robust advice on major plans and projects and through escalating risk through appropriate channels.

• Build partnerships with customers and stakeholders to resolve complex planning issues in order to support nature recovery, often through use of chargeable services that support better environmental outcomes.

• Proactively work with partners on opportunities that take forward NE nature recovery goals including use of biodiversity net gain, provision of high quality green and blue infrastructure, and creating opportunities for better connections between people and nature. Play a leading role in promoting and supporting the implementation of Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework within the team.

• Apply the highest standards of record keeping and decision making to demonstrate that legislation, policy and governance frameworks are followed, and consistent advice is delivered to customers.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Understanding and experience of the planning system and its processes including local policy planning and development management and how to apply it in the context of NE’s activities and duties (essential).

• Experience of reviewing Local Plans, planning applications and environmental assessments including Strategic Environmental Assessments and Habitat Regulations Assessments to inform advice and decisions (essential).

• Knowledge of relevant planning and environmental policy and legislation affecting protected sites/areas and species (essential).

• Strong organisational ability to manage complex delivery areas with competing demands (essential).

• The ability to build collaborative relationships with colleagues (both internally and externally) to help make things happen and deliver outcomes (essential).

• An ability to learn new areas of expertise to fulfil the tasks relevant to the post (essential).

• Excellent written and oral communication skills (essential).

• Broad understanding Natural England’s remit and objectives, the objectives of partners including Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Environment Agency (EA) and Local Planning Authorities (desirable).

• An understanding of the Green Infrastructure Framework and its application in a planning context (desirable).

Benefits

At Natural England, we support a healthy work-life balance by offering full-time, part-time, and flexible working arrangements.

We provide excellent opportunities for career progression, training, and development tailored to your role. This includes ten days annually for personal learning and development, plus three additional days for volunteering.

You’ll receive a generous leave allowance of 25 days per year (pro rata), increasing by one day for each year of service up to 30 days (pro-rata), access to the Civil Service Pension scheme with a 28.97% employer contribution, and a range of benefits such as shopping discounts and a cycle-to-work scheme. Staff can also join the Civil Service Sport club for discounts on sports, leisure activities, and social events.

We are committed to fairness, equality, and inclusivity. Our employee-led diversity networks help foster a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and supported.

Locations

Natural England has adopted hybrid working – which means our staff work from a flexible range of locations, encompassing home, offices (ours and our partners) and relevant sites. All new staff will be formally linked to one of our 25 offices across England, and the expectation is that all new staff will be able to access their local office to be part of the community of staff in their geographical area. Staff are expected to attend their associated office for 20% of their contractual hours.

Staff members are required to carry out all their duties working in this way and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Travel expenses will be paid if work-related travel is required but does not apply to travel between home and your associated office.

View a map of our office locations here: online map of Natural England office locations

Pay

It is Natural England policy to employ at the entry point of the salary range.

How to Apply

We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview.

If you require a reasonable adjustment at interview, or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you should notify us of this at application stage where possible, or well in advance of your interview. We now provide primary interview questions in advance for all formal recruitments.

This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. We'll assess you against the competencies below during the selection process:

• Technical Skills and Knowledge
• Putting People at the Heart of the Environment
• Personal Effectiveness
• Work Delivery

When completing the application form you should present relevant examples using the STAR format. Give us an example of how you have demonstrated the competency (which can be work related or from another area of your life) and tell us about the Situation, the specific Task you had to undertake, the specific Actions you took, and the Result (both immediate and in a wider context) of your Action.

Please note that STAR format is not required when answering the Technical Skills & Knowledge competency.

Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency.

If you are successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend an interview via MS Teams or a suitable alternative, where you will be asked to give examples for all competencies as set out in the Job Description.

As with all roles in NE, these roles require office attendance of a minimum of 20% of the working time – one day per week for those who work full time, subject to any reasonable adjustments and/or existing contractual homeworking.

Competencies

Competence 1

Professional competency

Detail

Technical Skills & Knowledge

Description

Technical expertise in and experience of planning mechanisms and their application for nature recovery – e.g. Habitats Regulations Assessments, Development Plan process, Sustainability Appraisals, Environmental Impact Assessments (or others). Ability to understand new planning processes and how they might be applied to enable the delivery of enhanced nature recovery (Essential).

Knowledge of how local authorities work, and/or basic ecological or land management knowledge, is also useful but not essential (Desirable).

Competence 2

Professional competency

Detail

Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

Description

Listen to and understand our diverse partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and the organisation you represent (Practitioner).

Work proactively and collaboratively with stakeholders and partners to identify and secure opportunities to deliver gains for people and nature (Practitioner).

Competence 3

Professional competency

Detail

Personal Effectiveness

Description

Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience. (Practitioner)

Be ambitious, identify and adopt ways to make improvements in your team and Natural England and inspire others to act. (Practitioner)

Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgment and evidence (Practitioner).

Competence 4

Professional competency

Detail

Work Delivery

Description

Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines. (Practitioner)

Handle data responsibly, understand your role in good governance, and comply with delegations, policies and procedures. (Practitioner)

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,240, Natural England contributes £9,339 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Please refer to Job Description

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Petula Neilson
• Email : petula.neilson@naturalengland.org.uk
• Telephone : 07384 235495

Recruitment team

• Email : defra-recruitment-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Further information

https://networkrecruitment.tal.net/vx/appcentre-7/brand-4/spa-1/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/8/opp/6559-6559-Higher-Officer-Sustainable-Development/en-GB

Attachments

DEF-001h - Candidate Pack Natural England v2.8 Opens in new window (docx, 666kB)